Eucharistic Fast before evening Divine Liturgy

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I_Thirst

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Roman Catholics have the one-hour fast before any Mass.

Most ECs fast from midnight until the Divine Liturgy, right? What is the practice for evening Divine Liturgy? Does it vary among Churches?

Also, does one follow the fasting guidelines according to rite? For example, if a Byzantine were to attend a morning Roman Catholic Mass, would he fast from midnight or just keep the one-hour fast?
 
I_Thirst said:
Roman Catholics have the one-hour fast before any Mass.

Most ECs fast from midnight until the Divine Liturgy, right? What is the practice for evening Divine Liturgy? Does it vary among Churches?

Also, does one follow the fasting guidelines according to rite? For example, if a Byzantine were to attend a morning Roman Catholic Mass, would he fast from midnight or just keep the one-hour fast?
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You follow what is your practice or tradition.
 
I_Thirst said:
And what do you do as a “non-practicing” Roman Catholic?

Is my question too cryptic to get a straight response? :confused:
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You got the quotes in the wrong place. I am a “non-practicing Roman” Catholic. Which means I am Catholic, just not a practicing Roman 😉

I fast for as long as I can. That is what I do. For example, if I miss Divine Liturgy and I’m going to 5pm Mass, then I fast from lunch. If I’m downtown and I am going to 12nn Mass, then I fast from breakfast (usually have it at 7am).

edit:
And I’m not being cryptic. I am telling you what you should do. What I do applies only to me. Its not a rule in the Church.
 
ConstantineTG said:
You got the quotes in the wrong place. I am a “non-practicing Roman” Catholic. Which means I am Catholic, just not a practicing Roman 😉
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😃
ConstantineTG said:
I fast for as long as I can. That is what I do. For example, if I miss Divine Liturgy and I’m going to 5pm Mass, then I fast from lunch. If I’m downtown and I am going to 12nn Mass, then I fast from breakfast (usually have it at 7am).
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Ok. Thanks!
ConstantineTG said:
edit:
And I’m not being cryptic. I am telling you what you should do. What I do applies only to me. Its not a rule in the Church.
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So there’s no rule for the ECs as there is for the RCs.
 
I_Thirst said:
😃

Ok. Thanks!

So there’s no rule for the ECs as there is for the RCs.
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Some synods do have created particular law for their faithful. I don’t know if its because they have to (make local adaptations of the CCEO) or if because they feel their faithful who now live in in places that is dominated by Western spirituality they feel need guidance in the same manner. I’ve spoken to my priest about Eucharistic fasting and he didn’t approach it in a Western sense that he pointed to the rules and laws of the Church. Rather more of practicality. You fast more if you can. You fast less if you can’t. We don’t expect small children to fast. Or even breastfeeding moms, pregnant women, elderly, etc. Not because the law says so, but common sense. Oikonomia.
 
ConstantineTG said:
Some synods do have created particular law for their faithful. I don’t know if its because they have to (make local adaptations of the CCEO) or if because they feel their faithful who now live in in places that is dominated by Western spirituality they feel need guidance in the same manner. I’ve spoken to my priest about Eucharistic fasting and he didn’t approach it in a Western sense that he pointed to the rules and laws of the Church. Rather more of practicality. You fast more if you can. You fast less if you can’t. We don’t expect small children to fast. Or even breastfeeding moms, pregnant women, elderly, etc. Not because the law says so, but common sense. Oikonomia.
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Constantine, do you think it is just your priest’s approach?

It’s really hard for me to imagine that there is no guideline in terms of hours or span of day at all.
 
I_Thirst said:
😃

Ok. Thanks!

So there’s no rule for the ECs as there is for the RCs.
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Since there are 22 eastern Catholic Churches, and variations within them, there is not one universal rule. There is a minimum in the canons of the Byzantine Catholic Church USA:

707 §2. The Eucharistic fast shall be from solids one hour before the reception of the Divine Eucharist. Medications and water may be taken anytime.
byzcath.org/index.php/resources-mainmenu-63/document-library-mainmenu-124/33-documents-of-the-byzantine-catholic-churches/334-particular-law-for-the-byzantine-ruthenian-church-in-the-usa

The general eastern canon:

CCEO Canon 707 §1. The preparation of the Eucharistic bread, the prayers performed by the priests before the Divine Liturgy, the observance of the Eucharistic fast, liturgical vestments, the time and place of the celebration and other like matters must be precisely established by the norms of each Church sui iuris.
My personal practice is to fast from food and water from bedtime until after the morning Liturgy.
 
TrueLight said:
Constantine, do you think it is just your priest’s approach?

It’s really hard for me to imagine that there is no guideline in terms of hours or span of day at all.
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He’s very Eastern, born, raised, and went to seminary in Ukraine. We have a ton of priests who are from Ukraine, and another one is on the way. My first thought was that we didn’t have a seminary in our Eparchy, and therefore there is no other place for our bishop to get a priest (and maybe those who are on the East Coast do not want to move to the West Coast to be clergy here). But now my better guess is that this is his plan to renew the Byzantine tradition in the Eparchy, by getting priests from Ukraine rather than those who grew up here in Latinized parishes (not that the UGCC in Ukraine is any less Latinized. But those born and raised there are more conscious about Orthodox traditions than those born and raised here where Roman Catholicism and other Western faiths are dominant).

So the simple answer, this is the true Eastern way.
 
For evening Divine Liturgies, I have been told either treat 12 noon like you would midnight the night before a morning liturgy. If one is going to eat, eat a small lunch. Hope this helps!
 
We fast according to the guidance given by our Spiritual Father
 
Vico said:
Since there are 22 eastern Catholic Churches, and variations within them, there is not one universal rule. There is a minimum in the canons of the Byzantine Catholic Church USA:

707 §2. The Eucharistic fast shall be from solids one hour before the reception of the Divine Eucharist. Medications and water may be taken anytime.
byzcath.org/index.php/resources-mainmenu-63/document-library-mainmenu-124/33-documents-of-the-byzantine-catholic-churches/334-particular-law-for-the-byzantine-ruthenian-church-in-the-usa

The general eastern canon:

CCEO Canon 707 §1. The preparation of the Eucharistic bread, the prayers performed by the priests before the Divine Liturgy, the observance of the Eucharistic fast, liturgical vestments, the time and place of the celebration and other like matters must be precisely established by the norms of each Church sui iuris.
My personal practice is to fast from food and water from bedtime until after the morning Liturgy.
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Thanks, Vico. So it appears that there is a general rule, but the specific practice varies among each Church.
Formosus said:
For evening Divine Liturgies, I have been told either treat 12 noon like you would midnight the night before a morning liturgy. If one is going to eat, eat a small lunch. Hope this helps!
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Thank you, Formosus!
The_Idiot said:
We fast according to the guidance given by our Spiritual Father
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So in your Church your fasting guidelines are given individually?
 
We fast on Wednesdays and Fridays from all meat, dairy, animal products, oil and wine on a regular week. If this is not kept than one should confess it as a sin and then perhaps still receive with a blessing. The Eucharistic fast is from either midnight or Great Vespers (6:00) the night before, depending on the tradition, but all fasting for that week is a part of preparation.
 
Alveus_Lacuna said:
We fast on Wednesdays and Fridays from all meat, dairy, animal products, oil and wine on a regular week. If this is not kept than one should confess it as a sin and then perhaps still receive with a blessing. The Eucharistic fast is from either midnight or Great Vespers (6:00) the night before, depending on the tradition, but all fasting for that week is a part of preparation.
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Great info, Alveus. Thank you!

Could you clarify something for me? I take fast to mean taking no food or drink and abstinence to mean restricting from certain food and drink. Are fast and abstinence the same thing in Orthodoxy?

I’ve heard that the fast (or one practice of it) is from midnight to noon, and then the rest of the day for the remaining meals one abstains from meat, dairy, etc in accordance with the season.

One more thing, what do you mean by “still receive with a blessing”?
 
Alveus_Lacuna said:
We fast on Wednesdays and Fridays from all meat, dairy, animal products, oil and wine on a regular week. If this is not kept than one should confess it as a sin and then perhaps still receive with a blessing. The Eucharistic fast is from either midnight or Great Vespers (6:00) the night before, depending on the tradition, but all fasting for that week is a part of preparation.
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Thats a rather strict fast. I know that dairy and seafood are not part of the regular Wednesday and Friday fasts. Unless if its Lent of course.
 
ConstantineTG said:
Thats a rather strict fast. I know that dairy and seafood are not part of the regular Wednesday and Friday fasts. Unless if its Lent of course.
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I know many members of the UGCC who fast in similar ways - again - all fasting should be done in conjunction with your Spiritual Father’s advice/wishes.

In the East fasting does not stop at the age of 60 or so 😉 ] as it does in the RC Church
.
 
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